editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94David Bianculli is a guest host and TV critic on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. A contributor to the show since its inception, he has been a TV critic since 1975.From 1993 to 2007, Bianculli was a TV critic for the New York Daily News.Bianculli has written three books: Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (Simon NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94David BianculliSat, 22 Oct 2016 22:39:20 +0000David Biancullihttp://apr.org
David BianculliThe Rocky Horror Show began as a stage musical in London in the early 1970s, starring Tim Curry as the outrageously dressed outer-space alien Frank N. Furter, self-described as a "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania." Richard O'Brien, the composer of the play and its music, played Frank's hunchbacked assistant, Riff Raff — and the two of them repeated their roles in a 1975 movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.The film flopped, originally, but got new life in midnight shows across the country. Before long, fans were attending in costume, bringing props, shouting interactive lines at the screen, and generally embracing the film's central, sexually and socially adventurous theme of "Don't dream it, be it."For such an irreverent musical, this new TV remake on the Fox network is surprisingly faithful to its source material. It finds a way, at various spots, to incorporate the audience-participation elements, by occasionally showing a theater "audience" seeing the same movie weCult TV Fans Will Find 'Rocky Horror' And 'Black Mirror' Smart And Provocativehttp://apr.org/post/cult-tv-fans-will-find-rocky-horror-and-black-mirror-smart-and-provocative
99715 as http://apr.orgThu, 20 Oct 2016 17:56:00 +0000Cult TV Fans Will Find 'Rocky Horror' And 'Black Mirror' Smart And ProvocativeDavid BianculliRemember that meteorite that smashed into Russia a few years ago, with enough people filming it as it came to Earth to cause a brief Internet sensation?Robert and Michelle King certainly do. The creators of The Good Wife use some of those images in the opening moments of their new CBS series, BrainDead, to set up a bizarre but very enjoyable hypothetical scenario.Here's the weird what-if: What if a meteorite like that one is recovered by Russians and forwarded to the United States for further study and eventual display in the Smithsonian? And what if that happens right at the start of a government shutdown, allowing the outer-space rock to burst open undetected, spilling out a veritable army of ant-like space bugs? And what if those bugs have the power, and the inclination, to creep around inside the Beltway and into the ears of politicians and their staffers, eating and mutating their brains? And what if those brain mutations result in politicians who are partisan in the extreme — andAliens Attack And Congress Goes Extreme In CBS' Political Satire 'BrainDead'http://apr.org/post/aliens-attack-and-congress-goes-extreme-cbs-political-satire-braindead
93060 as http://apr.orgMon, 13 Jun 2016 17:02:00 +0000Aliens Attack And Congress Goes Extreme In CBS' Political Satire 'BrainDead'David BianculliThe original Roots miniseries, based on the 1976 Alex Haley novel tracing his own family tree from African tribal life to American slavery and freedom, was a phenomenon.ABC showed it over consecutive nights in January 1977, not because it was expected to earn huge ratings but because network executives were afraid it wouldn't. So they crammed the entire miniseries into an eight-day prime-time marathon, which aired, by coincidence, during a massive winter storm that snowed in much of the Northeast.Roots was TV's original binge-viewing experience, and it kept drawing more viewers every night. Its finale, still one of the most-viewed scripted programs in TV history, was seen by more than 100 million people. It started a new national dialogue about race and racism, and slavery and genealogy, and launched or heightened the careers of several black actors, including LeVar Burton, John Amos, Leslie Uggams, Louis Gossett Jr. and Ben Vereen.So why bother with a remake? After all, the TVIn Its Retelling, 'Roots' Is Powerful, Must-See Televisionhttp://apr.org/post/its-retelling-roots-powerful-must-see-television
92208 as http://apr.orgThu, 26 May 2016 17:07:00 +0000In Its Retelling, 'Roots' Is Powerful, Must-See TelevisionDavid Biancullihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBRYsAfchkY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nck6BZga7TQ The late-night TV talk show wars aren't what they used to be. Success in that realm used to be measured by who got the most viewers after the late local news. For decades, it was NBC's The Tonight Show, whether hosted by Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson or, for most of his run, Jay Leno.But the current Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon, was one of the first to anticipate that you didn't need viewers watching you late at night — just watching anytime, on YouTube or social media. And viewers didn't have to watch the whole show. You just had to get buzz, and Fallon's way of doing has been with music.He staged "Lip Sync Battles" with his guests, which eventually led to a spinoff series still running on Spike TV. He imitated rock stars singing very improbable cover versions of songs, like the late Jim Morrison singing a soulful rendition of the theme from "Reading Rainbow."Most successfully of all,Racing Toward TV's Future, Late-Night Shows Shift To Anytime Social Mediahttp://apr.org/post/racing-toward-tvs-future-late-night-shows-shift-any-time-social-media
91755 as http://apr.orgTue, 17 May 2016 16:01:00 +0000Racing Toward TV's Future, Late-Night Shows Shift To Anytime Social MediaDavid BianculliFor years now, The Good Wife has been the best drama series on broadcast television, but it deserves even more praise than that. From the start, show creators Robert and Michelle King have had to deal with restrictive network standards, inconsistent scheduling, intrusive advertising breaks and a production order of 22 episodes per season — almost twice that of its cable and streaming competition.Yet, from start to finish, The Good Wife has been rewarding, surprising and delightfully unpredictable. It became one of my favorite TV series to watch --and stayed that way until the end.The final episode of The Good Wife was well aware of, and full of references to, the show's complicated history. The finale, like the pilot, was all about loyalty, betrayal and uncertainty, and echoes were everywhere.When the show premiered on CBS in 2009, it was with a closeup shot of two clasping hands. Those hands belonged to Illinois state's attorney Peter Florrick, played by Chris Noth, and his wife,7 Years Later, 'Good Wife' Ends As It Began: With Betrayal And Uncertaintyhttp://apr.org/post/7-years-later-good-wife-ends-it-began-betrayal-and-uncertainty
91366 as http://apr.orgMon, 09 May 2016 17:33:00 +00007 Years Later, 'Good Wife' Ends As It Began: With Betrayal And UncertaintyDavid BianculliWhen The X-Files appeared on TV in the 1990s, there really hadn't been anything quite like it on TV for a long time. The Twilight Zone, with its monsters and flying saucers and anything-goes mentality, was an obvious inspiration and precursor. But investigations of unusual or unearthly phenomena, dramatized in a weekly series in ways that could be scary or funny, or both? As TV shows go, that's about as rare a sighting as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.The closest thing to The X-Files, before The X-Files, was a short-lived TV series from the post-Watergate '70s called Kolchak: The Night Stalker. In it, Darren McGavin played an old-school newspaper reporter — so old-school he wore a light-blue seersucker jacket. He chased down vampires and zombies and witches and things, only to have his stories spiked or censored by the government or his own editors.It was a clever show — sometimes creepy, sometimes comical — and when Chris Carter created The X-Files, he cited Kolchak as a key'X-Files' Reboot Brings Back Mulder, Scully And The Search For Truthhttp://apr.org/post/x-files-reboot-brings-back-mulder-scully-and-search-truth
85574 as http://apr.orgFri, 22 Jan 2016 17:00:00 +0000'X-Files' Reboot Brings Back Mulder, Scully And The Search For TruthDavid BianculliWhen it came to new programming, broadcast TV didn't impress critic David Bianculli much this year. But if you add in cable and streaming services, then the story changes.All told, cable and streaming made it "another great year for TV," Bianculli tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. The year was so good, in fact, Bianculli says he could have made a Top 20 or even a Top 30 list, but in keeping with tradition, he has narrowed it down to 10 — OK, fine, 11 — picks:1. Better Call Saul (AMC)"I didn't expect it to be that good."2. Fargo (FX)"In its second season, it rebooted from the first, and I loved everything about the program."3. Justified (FX)"Good finale. Excellent final year."4. The Good Wife (CBS)"The only show from broadcast TV on my Top 10."5. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)"He went out very strong, not just in the last day, but in the last year."6. Mad Men (AMC)"I think it ended beautifully."7. The Walking Dead (AMC)"It's a genre show, but it's a really well done one.'Another Great Year For TV': David Bianculli On The Best (And Worst) Of 2015http://apr.org/post/another-great-year-tv-david-bianculli-best-and-worst-2015
84140 as http://apr.orgWed, 23 Dec 2015 20:18:00 +0000'Another Great Year For TV': David Bianculli On The Best (And Worst) Of 2015David BianculliA Very Murray Christmas is directed and co-written by Sofia Coppola, who also worked with Bill Murray on the movie Lost in Translation. In that film, Murray played an actor in Japan, reluctantly doing a series of commercials there, and not at all happy.In A Very Murray Christmas, Murray starts out in much the same mood — he's in his room at New York's Carlyle Hotel, killing time with old friend Paul Shaffer, who's noodling at the piano. Outside, a snowstorm is raging. Inside, Bill Murray is pouting and singing a somber Christmas song.When I heard that Bill Murray was doing a Christmas special for Netflix, my first thought, I'll admit, was: "Why?" Is that something he'd really want to do? And, as it turns out, that's the way A Very Murray Christmas begins. He's playing a version of himself who's accepted a booking for a TV Christmas special, live from the Cafe Carlyle. And now that the day has arrived, the scheduled guests have not — because of a winter storm that has stopped the cityNetflix Wishes You A 'Murray Christmas' In A Cheerful, Irony-Free Holiday Specialhttp://apr.org/post/netflix-wishes-you-murray-christmas-cheerful-irony-free-holiday-special
83126 as http://apr.orgThu, 03 Dec 2015 18:42:00 +0000Netflix Wishes You A 'Murray Christmas' In A Cheerful, Irony-Free Holiday SpecialDavid BianculliCopyright 2015 Fresh Air. To see more, visit DAVE DAVIES, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Our TV critic, David Bianculli, is very enthusiastic about two just-released DVD box sets of TV shows. One is season one of "Better Call Saul," the "Breaking Bad" prequel that premiered earlier this year. The other is a new compilation of an old show he's been waiting to see again since the '70s, "The Great American Dream Machine." Here's his review.DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: "Better Call Saul" is the prequel to Vince Gilligan's "Breaking Bad," one of my favorite TV series of all time. Co-created by Gilligan and "Breaking Bad" writer-producer Peter Gould, "Better Call Saul" tells a story of how Jimmy McGill, a struggling lawyer, played by Bob Odenkirk, eventually turns into the shady criminal lawyer on "Breaking Bad" known as Saul Goodman. And "Better Call Saul," after only one season, is emerging as one of my all-time favorites too, and now it's released on DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. So'Better Call Saul' And 'The Great American Dream Machine' Shine As DVD Box Setshttp://apr.org/post/better-call-saul-and-great-american-dream-machine-shine-dvd-box-sets
82819 as http://apr.orgFri, 27 Nov 2015 18:16:00 +0000'Better Call Saul' And 'The Great American Dream Machine' Shine As DVD Box SetsDavid BianculliFor broadcast TV, this year's fall season has been decidedly, and disappointingly, below average, especially for drama series. But on streaming television, there's a new show — available on Amazon Prime Video in its first-season entirety on Friday — that's about to change all that.The show is called The Man in the High Castle. It's based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, the same writer whose stories inspired the movies Blade Runner and Total Recall, and it's excellent.The executive producers of The Man in the High Castle include Ridley Scott, who directed Blade Runner in 1982, and David W. Zucker, who, with Scott, is another of the executive producers of The Good Wife on CBS.But the real workhorse here is Frank Spotnitz, who developed The Man in the High Castle for television and wrote the first two scripts. He was a writer and producer on The X-Files, and this is the show that, if life is fair, should make lots of people take notice.The Man in the High Castle is Dick's alternativeAmazon's 'High Castle' Offers A Chilling Alternate History Of Nazi Triumphhttp://apr.org/post/amazons-high-castle-offers-chilling-alternate-history-nazi-triumph
82365 as http://apr.orgWed, 18 Nov 2015 19:30:00 +0000Amazon's 'High Castle' Offers A Chilling Alternate History Of Nazi TriumphDavid BianculliCopyright 2015 Fresh Air. To see more, visit TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Despite the popularity of streaming services that make make many old episode of TV series available on-demand, DVD box sets continue to be released and embraced by serious fans and collectors, including our TV critic, David Bianculli. He's going to tell us about the four recent releases he most treasures - two just-completed TV series and two very vintage ones.(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW")CAROL BURNETT: Welcome to our first show that we're doing. I'm really excited and very happy that you're all with us tonight. Looks like we've got a nice, full group. Could you bump up the lights so I could see? Oh.(LAUGHTER)DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: Basically, there are three kinds of DVD releases of TV shows that still hold merit and justify their purchase prices in these days of streaming TV services. There are new releases of old shows which aren't readily available elsewhere, like the recent TimeFrom 'Carol Burnett' To 'Mad Men', Here Are Four DVD Box Sets Worth Buyinghttp://apr.org/post/carol-burnett-mad-men-here-are-four-dvd-box-sets-worth-buying
81199 as http://apr.orgWed, 28 Oct 2015 17:48:00 +0000From 'Carol Burnett' To 'Mad Men', Here Are Four DVD Box Sets Worth BuyingDavid BianculliSupergirl, premiering Monday night on CBS, follows in the same path of other prime-time DC Comics superheroes established on the CW by Arrow and The Flash. And they're only part of a much wider trend, because superheroes are as popular, and profitable, on TV as they are in the movies.With Supergirl, Greg Berlanti and his Arrow and The Flash producing team are attempting to mount a modern, youth-appeal superhero series not for the CW but for older-skewing network CBS. The Superman family franchise is as reliable, and family-friendly, as it gets: The Adventures of Superman was TV's first superhero hit show in the '50s, and more recent times have given us such successful variations as Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville, which, respectively, were a prequel and a pre-prequel to the Man of Steel story. A syndicated Superboy series was less memorable — and Supergirl, based on the opening episode, is flirting with being forgettable also.Melissa Benoist, from Glee,CBS' 'Supergirl' Struggles To Get Off The Groundhttp://apr.org/post/cbs-supergirl-struggles-get-ground
81082 as http://apr.orgMon, 26 Oct 2015 17:50:00 +0000CBS' 'Supergirl' Struggles To Get Off The GroundDavid BianculliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit TERRY GROSS, HOST: Tonight, the TV drama series "Fargo" begins its second season on the FX Network. It has a new story and a new cast, but one familiar character is at its center. Our TV critic David Bianculli has a review.DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: Last season when it premiered, "Fargo," the TV series, had to overcome the misconception that it was a remake of "Fargo," the fabulous Coen brothers movie. Instead, this TV "Fargo" was series creator Noah Hawley's reimagining of the "Fargo" mood and sensibility. Plot lines and settings were all new, but the style was the same. Characters were quirky, the humor was dark, the violence was shockingly sudden and the conversations were slow, yet often filled with menace. The Coen brothers liked Hawley's take so much, they not only approved of the TV version, but signed on as executive producers. And as season one's murder case unfurled with terrific central performances by Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton,'Fargo' Returns, With An Oddball Style Reminiscent Of 'Twin Peaks'http://apr.org/post/fargo-returns-oddball-style-reminiscent-twin-peaks
80345 as http://apr.orgMon, 12 Oct 2015 16:52:00 +0000'Fargo' Returns, With An Oddball Style Reminiscent Of 'Twin Peaks'David BianculliOne of the newest trends on TV — and one of the most intriguing — is the season-long anthology drama series. In the Golden Age of TV, back in the 1950s, anthology series presented a brand-new story and cast every week. A lonely butcher named Marty looking for love. Jurors arguing over a verdict in 12 Angry Men. Mannequins coming to life in The Twilight Zone.Then the anthology format all but vanished, except for the rare and noteworthy revival over the past few decades: HBO's Tales from the Crypt, Showtime's Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre, Nickelodeon's Are You Afraid of the Dark?But over the past few years, something strange has happened. A few television series have begun reinventing and rebooting themselves, presenting shorter seasons of 10 episodes or so, then returning the next year with all-new stories and settings, and partly or completely new casts. These new shows are anthology series — except they're starting from scratch each year, instead of each week.HBO's True'American Horror Story' Returns, With Twists, Thrills And A Chilling Lady Gagahttp://apr.org/post/american-horror-story-returns-twists-thrills-and-chilling-lady-gaga
80034 as http://apr.orgTue, 06 Oct 2015 18:19:00 +0000'American Horror Story' Returns, With Twists, Thrills And A Chilling Lady GagaDavid BianculliCopyright 2015 Fresh Air. To see more, visit TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Last night, seven weeks after Jon Stewart stepped down as the long-time host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," the new host stepped in, Trevor Noah, a 31-year-old biracial comedian from South Africa. Here's our TV critic David Bianculli with his first impressions of the new "Daily Show" era.(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE DAILY SHOW")TREVOR NOAH: First of all, this is surreal for me. I'm not going to lie. Growing up in the dusty streets of South Africa, I never dreamed that I would one day have - well, two things, really - an indoor toilets...(LAUGHTER)NOAH: And a job as host of "The Daily Show." And...(APPLAUSE)NOAH: And now - and now, I have both.(LAUGHTER)NOAH: And I'm quite comfortable with one of them, so...(LAUGHTER)DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: That was how Trevor Noah introduced himself to "The Daily Show" audience last night. And he could have stopped there, with a genial and general opening joke.New Host Trevor Noah Puts His Own Spin On 'The Daily Show'http://apr.org/post/new-host-trevor-noah-puts-his-own-spin-daily-show
79642 as http://apr.orgTue, 29 Sep 2015 18:43:00 +0000New Host Trevor Noah Puts His Own Spin On 'The Daily Show'David BianculliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Viola Davis, the star of ABC's "How To Get Away With Murder," made history last night by becoming the first African-American to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama series. Our TV critic, David Bianculli, is going to look back on last night's Emmy ceremony and look ahead to the new fall TV season which begins tonight.DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: Last night's Emmy awards managed to honor the past and move forward at the same time. Jon Hamm finally won his first dramatic actor Emmy in his final year of eligibility for AMC's "Mad Men." And Jon Stewart's much-honored "Daily Show" on Comedy Central won three final enemies under his watch. But mostly the Emmy's signified a year of change.Amazon's transgender comedy "Transparent" won three Emmys, including one for star Jeffrey Tambor. HBO's "Veep" ended the streak of ABC's "Modern Family" as best comedy. And the same network's "Game Of Thrones" won best drama series,TV After The Emmy Awards: The Good, The Bad And 'The Muppets'http://apr.org/post/tv-after-emmy-awards-good-bad-and-muppets
79157 as http://apr.orgMon, 21 Sep 2015 17:55:00 +0000TV After The Emmy Awards: The Good, The Bad And 'The Muppets'David BianculliOver the past few years, NBC has tried a few times to revive the prime-time variety show, a TV format that once was as popular and ubiquitous as reality TV is today. NBC even has tried to inject the variety television genre with the excitement of live television, in hopes of luring viewers back to their television sets in real time.But those previous NBC attempts, hosted respectively by Rosie O'Donnell and Maya Rudolph, fell flat. So now, with a new program based on a long-running, freewheeling British hit series, comes Neil Patrick Harris, the man who's scored repeatedly on live TV awards shows, as host of the Oscars, the Emmys and especially the Tonys.This new live weekly variety show, the first fall TV series out of the gate, is called Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. His sidekick is singer Nicole Scherzinger; each week features a different celebrity as the guest star and announcer — and each program is a mixture of mini-quiz shows, game shows, production numbers, stuntNeil Patrick Harris' 'Best Time Ever': A Variety Show In Need Of More Varietyhttp://apr.org/post/neil-patrick-harris-best-time-ever-variety-show-need-more-variety
78899 as http://apr.orgWed, 16 Sep 2015 17:20:00 +0000Neil Patrick Harris' 'Best Time Ever': A Variety Show In Need Of More VarietyDavid BianculliFirst nights on TV talk shows provide quick, and sometimes misleading, first impressions. As Stephen Colbert joked in his opening monologue, he had nine months to plan his first show. But first impressions do count for a lot, especially about the structure — and atmosphere — a new host brings to the job.Colbert didn't mess with the existing structure of the Late Show itself — opening monologue, sit behind a desk, interview a few guests, showcase some music at the end. But the interior structure of the Ed Sullivan Theater was significantly different — so much so that one of the opening-night guests, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, took note.Colbert opened the show with a film montage, showing him singing harmony on "The Star Spangled Banner" with various people across the country — and closed it by joining new Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste, and his band Stay Human and special guests, on a high-energy performance of Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People." As ColbertStephen Colbert Brings Showmanship — And Harmony — To His 'Late Show' Debuthttp://apr.org/post/stephen-colbert-brings-showmanship-and-harmony-his-late-show-debut
78526 as http://apr.orgWed, 09 Sep 2015 18:44:00 +0000Stephen Colbert Brings Showmanship — And Harmony — To His 'Late Show' DebutDavid BianculliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Edward Burns made his mark 20 years ago by writing, directing and starring in the movie "The Brothers McMullen." Now, he's the creator, writer and star of the new TNT cable series "Public Morals," which begins tonight. He directed two of its 10 episodes. It's a period cop drama set in the '60s. Our TV critic, David Bianculli, says it reminds him of some classic cop movies from another decade - the '70s. Here's his review.DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: "Public Morals," the new limited series that begins tonight on TNT, takes place in New York in the '60s. But where "Mad Men," another TV series initially set in that same place and time, was all about the glamour of Madison Avenue, "Public Morals" hones in on the period's seediness of Hell's Kitchen. Many of its cops are blatantly corrupt, and most of its bad guys go about their organized crime in a very organized fashion, often with police protection and assistance.It'Public Morals' — Or Lack Thereof — On Display In TNT's New Cop Showhttp://apr.org/post/public-morals-or-lack-thereof-display-tnts-new-cop-show
77737 as http://apr.orgTue, 25 Aug 2015 17:29:00 +0000'Public Morals' — Or Lack Thereof — On Display In TNT's New Cop ShowDavid BianculliCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Our TV critic, David Bianculli, has reviews of two very different new TV projects, IFC's "Documentary Now!" which premieres tonight, and AMC's "Fear The Walking Dead," which begins Sunday.DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: "The Walking Dead," which crept onto TV on Halloween night in 2010, has become the AMC cable network's biggest hit ever - bigger than "Mad Men," bigger than "Breaking Bad." It's also become the most-watched scripted show on cable TV, period, so it's no surprise that after five years, AMC would finally find a way to launch a spinoff "Walking Dead" series. It starts this Sunday. It's called, "Fear The Walking Dead," and it's a prequel, though AMC isn't calling it that. The network prefers the term, companion series. But though it occurs at different time and place than "The Walking Dead," this new series definitely is linked. And for fans of that show, definitely is worth checking out. In the original'Fear The Walking Dead' And 'Documentary Now!' Riff On Familiar Themeshttp://apr.org/post/fear-walking-dead-and-documentary-now-riff-familiar-themes
77508 as http://apr.orgThu, 20 Aug 2015 18:02:00 +0000'Fear The Walking Dead' And 'Documentary Now!' Riff On Familiar Themes